Across The Distant Water
by zaluzianskya
Summary: Ryubee Sonozaki's remaining descendents are tasked with retrieving the treasure of Onigashima in exchange for his inheritance. That includes Philip... and also his long-lost cousins Takatora and Mitsuzane.


This was written for GhostJ for this year's Yuletide Exchange on Ao3. The mentions of the legend of Momotaro in this fic are specifically referring to a set of Pepsi Nex Zero commercials produced in Japan (another fandom GhostJ requested and that I found I was easily able to squeeze in). You can find them on Youtube, but they're not vital to understanding this story.

* * *

Shotaro tapped his fingers on his knee impatiently. He, Philip, and Akiko had been waiting in this ostentatious study for a good ten minutes.

Supposedly, the Sonozaki family lawyer was supposed to meet with them here to discuss Ryubee's will. Shotaro hadn't wanted to come, but Akiko had been spellbound by the idea of Philip inheriting the family's riches. In the end it had been up to Philip, though, and he'd made the decision to at least see what the will had to say.

But why was the reading at this mansion all the way over in Zawame City?

Finally the door opened and three people walked in; two men, both wearing suits and one carrying a briefcase, and a boy about Philip's age wearing a blue hoodie. The man with the briefcase took a seat behind a desk, and the two others sat down in the empty seats beside Philip.

Akiko tilted her head as she glanced from Philip to the boy in the hoodie. "Hm..."

The man behind the desk cleared his throat. "I'm sorry for the delay. Let's begin. I'm Sousuke Kuroyama, lawyer for the Sonozaki family estate. Raito," he said with a nod to Philip, "I called you here today for the reading of your father's will along with the other two beneficiaries, Takatora and Mitsuzane Kureshima."

"Kureshima?" Philip repeated curiously.

The older of the Kureshimas leaned forward, a seated facsimile of a bow. "Good afternoon. We've met Uncle Ryubee's daughters before, but we haven't heard much about you—Raito, was it?"

Shotaro's cheeks puffed out briefly. "It's not Raito..." he grumbled, but Philip patted his leg reassuringly.

"Ah, I see... We're cousins, then?" Philip deduced.

"It's nice to meet you," the boy in the hoodie chimed in.

Kuroyama opened up his briefcase and pulled out a sheaf of paperwork. "Now to business. As for the matter of Ryubee Sonozaki's will..." He adjusted his spectacles and started to read. "'I, Ryubee Sonozaki, being of sound mind—'"

Akiko stifled a snicker.

"'—and body, of legal age and without influence or duress, do hereby declare this as my last will and testament.'"

Kuroyama paused to clear his throat.

"'I bequeath my estate to my wife Fumine; my children Saeko, Wakana, and Raito; and my twin brother Amagi...'" Kuroyama paused. "With the death of Amagi Kureshima, his portion of the inheritance passes along to his sons. Ahem— '...in direct proportion to their performance as outlined in section 2 of this document."

A murmur went up among the group; Akiko muttered, "I didn't hear about this," at the same time Mitsuzane asked, "What does that mean?"

Kuroyama held up a hand. "Now, now, let me finish. 'Section two,'" he continued. "'To decide apportionment of my assets, my heirs will engage in a contest of wills and wits. There is one site I was never able to excavate, no matter how I tried. My heirs will each receive a percentage of my assets in proportion to the number and value of the artifacts they retrieve from the mythical island Onigashima within one month of the reading of this will.'"

A confused cry went up amongst the five listeners.

"I _really_ didn't hear about this!"

"What? That's ridiculous," said Shotaro.

"Onigashima?" Takatora murmured. "Ah, Uncle Ryubee... This is just like you."

Kuroyama set the papers down and took off his spectacles. "As per the document, you have one month from today's date. The deadline is midnight on January twenty-fourth."

"You've got to be kidding, right?" Mitsuzane protested. "Does Onigashima even exist?"

"Hey, why are _you_ asking?" Akiko demanded. "You two live in this mansion, right? You're already filthy stinkin' rich. Let Philip have the inheritance!"

"Who?"

"Him! Philip, not Raito!" Akiko jabbed her finger toward Philip, who was sitting stock-still in his seat.

He was glowing.

* * *

"Keyword: Onigashima."

Philip plucked a book labeled _Momotaro_ off the nearest shelf. Apparently Onigashima was an island inhabited by oni. The last time humans had contact with it was many centuries ago, when the legendary hero Momotaro and his entourage stormed it to defeat the oni who were attacking human villages in Japan.

As for its location, though... He set that book down and picked up another. "Located in the Sea of Okhotsk, coordinates..."

As he skimmed the page the hair on the back of his neck began to stand up. He got the feeling he was being watched.

Slamming the book shut, Philip whirled around. "Who's there?!"

An orange-haired girl dressed in all white stood before him. Her gaze was eerie. Her eyes were different colors.

She held her hand out, and the _Onigashima_ book flew out of Philip's hands and into hers. "That's cheating," she said in a voice that echoed weirdly in the empty space of the Gaia Library.

"What?! Who are—"

She was gone before he could finish his question.

* * *

Kuroyama took his leave, and Takatora and Mitsuzane left Raito and his friends in the study so they could discuss the matter privately. Now they were standing in the hallway just outside the room. "This was... quite the interesting proposal," Takatora said.

"But that woman had a good point," Mitsuzane pointed out. "Do we really need the Sonozaki fortune? We should just let Raito have it."

"It isn't that simple. If Raito doesn't obtain some of this mythical treasure, he won't receive the inheritance either. Zero percent of zero is zero."

"Then we can let him seek it out on his own."

The door to the study opened. Out stepped Raito and his two friends. "That... would be cheating," Raito said in an odd tone of voice. "I'm intrigued by this competition. I accept the challenge."

Raito's female friend groaned. "C' _mon_ , Philip, just let them give up!"

Takatora rubbed his chin. "Now the only question is the matter of getting there. How do we know if this island even exists?"

Raito rattled off a set of coordinates, longitude and latitude.

Takatora and Mitsuzane stared at him.

"I was able to learn that much before I was deterred by a mysterious apparition. With my knowledge of the location and your wealth to finance the trip, I believe that makes it fair. Correct?"

"Yes, but how—"

The man in the fedora smirked and clapped his hand onto Raito's shoulder. "Philip's pretty amazing. Y'know, I'd give up now if I were you. There's no way you can beat him."

Takatora laughed incredulously. "We'll see about that."

* * *

"This is ridiculous," Shotaro grumbled that night, once they'd returned to the Narumi Detective Agency.

"What happened to 'I'd give up now if I were you', Shotaro?" Philip teased his partner. "'There's no way they can beat me'."

Shotaro groaned. "That doesn't make this not ridiculous."

"Are you sure this place even exists?" Akiko flipped through an atlas she'd dug out from the storage shelf above Shotaro's desk. "Sea of Okhotsk? So like north of Hokkaido? There's nothing here but a bunch of Russian islands. Are you sure it's not Megijima?"

"I found a book about the island in the Gaia Library," said Philip. "But before I could read any more than the latitude and longitude, a woman appeared and took it away from me."

Akiko and Shotaro sat up straight. "A woman?"

"I'd never seen her before. She said that a lookup was cheating." Philip picked at his lip.

"Who does she think she is?" Shotaro grumped.

"Well, you got the most important part, Philip," Akiko pointed out. "And it sounded like your cousins would help us get to Onigashima, so—"

"Wait," Philip said. "'Us'?"

"Well, yeah! Of course we're coming along!"

"Did you think we wouldn't?" Shotaro added.

"Having friends along to help me carry objects could also be construed as cheating."

"Look, Philip," said Akiko. "The Kureshimas are rich. They're cheating at _life_."

* * *

"How do you think Raito got those coordinates, Takatora?" Mitchi asked.

It was night, and they'd made all the arrangements they needed. Takatora had chartered a boat and gotten Mitchi the days off from school he would need for the expedition. Everything was set.

Takatora shrugged. He sat back in his chair, looking down at his phone. "It _is_ curious. We don't know much about him."

"I didn't even know he existed."

Takatora pursed his lips. "I do seem to remember a third Sonozaki sibling, but it was so long ago..." He rubbed his chin. "Father and Uncle Ryubee stopped talking about him... fifteen or so years ago now, I believe. And Saeko never seemed interested when I rose the subject."

"Weird..."

"You should get some sleep, Mitsuzane," said Takatora. "We'll be heading to Hokkaido tomorrow. We'll have all the time in the world to ask Raito about himself."

Mitchi smiled. "You're right. Good night, Takatora."

Mitchi stepped out of the den and headed up to his room. It had been so long since he'd gotten to spend time with his cousins, and he'd only recently learned that Saeko and Wakana were deceased. He'd always thought Wakana was cool, but she'd never wanted to spend much time with him, and Saeko had been closer to Takatora's age.

Raito was a few years older than him but the age gap there wasn't as noticeable. Maybe they could be friends? Or... not Raito, but Philip, as Raito's friends had called him. That was interesting, too.

Yes, Mitchi decided. He would definitely have to get to know his cousin better.

* * *

The train station was crowded the next evening when the Narumi Detective Agency arrived. The air was cold; Philip could see his breath in his air. Condensation taking the form of miniature ice crystals was a phenomenon that had long since ceased to interest him.

He and Shotaro arrived together, and Akiko not long after.

"Eh? Where's Ryu Terui?" Philip asked.

"He's busy. The Paranormal Crimes Division is helping Tokyo PD out with a case," Akiko explained. "Something about time-stopping monsters... I didn't get to hear very much about it."

They boarded the train to head north. The Kureshimas had boarded at the Zawame City station and were waiting for them.

With the long trip ahead of them in mind, Takatora had booked three cars for them on a sleeper train. For now the five travelers sat in the lounge, looking out at Fuuto as they whizzed through the city. Soon they would come to the outskirts of town, and then it would be an hours-long trip through farmland and woods all the way to Sapporo.

"Whoa," said Akiko. "This train is amazing."

Takatora smiled. "With trips being discontinued in the near future, it's very difficult to book tickets. Usually it's impossible on only one day's notice."

Akiko's grin turned to a scowl at the reminder of the Kureshima family's wealth.

"Why not just fly?" Philip asked.

"Well— Philip, was it?" When Philip nodded, Takatora continued. "It's been such a long time. I thought we could spend the time getting to know each other a little better."

Something twinged in Philip's gut when he heard those words. These two strangers were, after all, his family.

He swallowed and nodded. "I think I would like that."

* * *

The sleeper rooms were small compared to, say, an apartment, but surprisingly functional for rooms on a train. There was one floor with their beds and a second floor with a living space, including a television and a private shower. Philip and Shotaro left their luggage in one room; Takatora and Mitsuzane had claimed another; and Akiko got the third to herself.

(Philip wondered whether or not they should break it to Takatora that, with Shotaro and Philip sharing a bed, he only needed to buy one room for all three of them. Akiko threatened him with a slipper—she didn't want to hear them in bed together.)

For the first hour on the train, the Narumi Detective Agency milled about and explored their surroundings. Then came dinner.

They met in the dining car; Shotaro and Akiko sat on one side of the table, Takatora and Mitsuzane across from them, and Philip took a seat at the end, with Shotaro on his left and Mitsuzane on his right.

While they worked on their appetizers, Takatora nodded to Shotaro and Akiko. "We know a bit about Raito, but who exactly are you?"

"We're his family," Akiko said a little defensively.

"The Narumi Detective Agency," said Shotaro with a flick of the brim of his hat. "Shotaro Hidari, private detective. Philip is my partner. And this is Akiko Narumi, our chief."

"They're both right," Philip said. "Shotaro and Aki-chan are my co-workers and my..." He smiled. "My precious, precious family."

"But they aren't members of the Sonozaki family," Mitsuzane pointed out bluntly.

Shotaro sat forward. "Look, kid, there's more to being family than your blood or your family register."

"And the Sonozakis weren't even any kind of family to Philip anyway."

"Aki-chan..."

Akiko frowned. "What? They _weren't_!"

The Kureshima brothers glanced at each other. "What do you mean?" Mitsuzane asked after a moment's silence.

"It's a long story," Philip said before either Shotaro or Akiko could speak up. The two of them sighed, but took the hint that Philip didn't want to discuss the subject.

"Would this 'long story' have anything to do with why we didn't know you existed until yesterday?"

"Mitsuzane," Takatora murmured.

"You keep asking questions about Philip, but you've barely told us anything about yourselves," Shotaro pointed out. "You're some kind of businessman, right, Takatora?"

"How could you tell?" Takatora looked genuinely surprised.

"A detective has his ways," Shotaro said coolly. "That mansion and those suits you wear? I've seen it all before."

"Well, you're right. I was formerly the head of R&D for the Yggdrasill Corporation. Now I head up the Zawame City Restoration Bureau."

"Restoration? Did something happen?" asked Akiko.

"Wait, there were those Kamen Riders in Zawame," said Shotaro. "Gaim and Baron, right? And I think there were others. Did you have monsters?"

"You knew them?" Mitsuzane asked in surprise.

"Yeah. Helped 'em out once when they were in a pinch." Shotaro flicked his wrist in an expression he clearly thought was cool. He pulled off his hat and smoothed his hair back. "You might have seen me there fighting for justice. Kamen Rider Joker."

"Hey, I was there too," Philip scolded him.

"You were busy looking up eggplants that day, you research freak!"

"And I set that research aside when you wound up in that strange forest," Philip reminded him. "We came out of the rift as Double, remember?"

"You're Kamen Riders?" both Kureshimas exclaimed in unison.

"Heh." Shotaro smirked. "Yeah. Philip and I together transform into a single Kamen Rider, Kamen Rider Double."

"Amazing... The Riders outside of Zawame are certainly diverse," said Takatora. "How do—"

Akiko groaned. "Ugh, Kamen Rider talk... Are you guys gonna eat your food? 'Cause if you're not..." She held her fork in hand and hungrily eyed Shotaro's plate.

"You still have half a plate left!"

"Who cares? You're too busy talking to eat!"

Philip hid a smile behind his hand as he watched his friends bicker. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mitsuzane looking confused and then laughing, too.

* * *

After dinner, Philip retired to his and Shotaro's room. He wanted to look into Onigashima some more.

If he couldn't read the book about the island itself, he would just have to research it by more indirect means. He called up the _Momotaro_ book again and flipped through it.

In the seventeenth century, the book said, the hero Momotaro and his friends—"Dog", a man who had been raised by wolves; "Pheasant", the prince of the country of birds; and "Monkey", a mountain-dwelling hermit—traveled to Onigashima to fight the oni who attacked the people of Hokkaido and the islands north of there, stealing treasure and kidnapping humans. The four faced many trials, but in the end managed to reach the island and do battle with the oni who lived there. They returned victorious with the humans the oni had enslaved.

Philip heard a sigh. When he looked up, that mysterious girl was standing there before him again. Her arms were folded over her chest and she looked annoyed.

"I'm not cheating," Philip protested.

"You have an advantage Mitchi and his brother don't."

"And they have advantages I don't." He closed the book and gesticulated as he spoke. "More importantly... who are you? How do you know the Kureshima brothers?"

"That isn't important. I don't exist on this Earth anymore."

"But..."

"Anymore, as of your present time," the girl elaborated. "This 'me' has been scattered through the timestream. I'm just a fragment of myself that's found itself here by chance. I won't be here for long."

"Then why..."

The girl smiled. "Because Mitchi is my friend. Despite everything... he's happy now. I hope the two of you can become friends, too."

Philip tilted his head.

"Take care of him, won't you?"

She was gone.

* * *

The train ride was largely uneventful. Much of it was spent sleeping. Philip would have liked to stay up to see the scenery, but Shotaro insisted he needed his rest.

They reached Sapporo the next day and transferred to another train to complete the ride to the northern tip of Hokkaido, where Takatora procured a smallish motorboat. Philip spent the ride leaning over the side and looking for whales.

Shotaro wondered where he was supposed to dock the boat, but as they approached the island he saw there was a small pier jutting out. Right; this place had been inhabited once upon a time, hadn't it?

Akiko whistled as the boat was docked at the pier. "Anyone else see that huge castle?"

Everyone saw it. The island sloped gently upward, with the giant, black-walled castle built at the highest point. Even the dense foliage couldn't hide it.

Philip hoisted his backpack up onto his back. Mitsuzane adjusted the messenger bag he was carrying. "By my calculations, we have a hike of approximately six hours," said Philip.

"And this forest looks treacherous," said Takatora.

"Then let's stick together," said Mitchi. "The competition can start once we get inside the castle, right?"

That was reasonable. Everyone nodded.

The hike began.

One saving grace of the freezing weather was that it meant there were no insects swarming them as they shoved their way through the underbrush. The trees also served as a decent buffer against the December wind. But those were the only good points. By the time an hour had passed, everyone was sore, everyone's faces were red from cold, and Philip's hands were freezing because he hadn't brought gloves.

Sighing in exasperation, Shotaro stopped so he could pull his own gloves off, cup his hands around Philip's, and warm them up a bit. The frozen flush of Philip's cheeks became a deeper, happier red.

Akiko snickered. Takatora raised an eyebrow. Mitchi looked away uncomfortably.

They trekked onward.

* * *

Mitchi jerked his head in surprise. "Did anybody else hear that?"

Everyone stopped walking. The sound of rustling reached their ears, followed by loud, earth-shaking stomps.

And it was getting closer.

"Is it getting... warmer?" Akiko asked.

Philip's eyes widened. "Everybody, run!"

"What is it?"

"Just _go_!"

The five of them took off running. The rustling and stomping grew louder and soon, from amidst the trees, a huge beast made of what looked like congealed lava emerged.

Shotaro yelled wordlessly. Akiko shrieked and threw a slipper at it, stumbling in the process—until Takatora grabbed her by the arm and pulled her forward so she could keep running.

"Is that an oni?" Mitchi demanded.

"Yes," said Philip. "If I'd been able to read the _Onigashima_ book I would have known they still inhabited this island..." he added with a scowl.

"Argh!" Shotaro stopped running and turned to face the monster, Double Driver in hand. "It's too fast. We'll have to fight it."

"We _are_ intruding in its territory," Takatora pointed out.

In response, the oni swung one of its humongous arms in their direction. Everyone managed to duck in time, but globs of magma were left in its wake, searing the bushes and trees they landed on.

Shotaro's jaw set firmly. "Let's go, Philip."

Shotaro set the driver at his waist. When Philip stuck Cyclone into his half, Shotaro responded with Joker. Philip passed out, and with a burst of wind that sent the oni staggering backward, Double's armor materialized around Shotaro.

Akiko caught Philip. "Oof! Hey, help me out here," she said to the Kureshimas.

"You get them out of here, Takatora," Mitchi said.

Takatora nodded and hoisted Philip up into his arms. Akiko shot Mitchi a few confused glances, but his brashness wasn't enough to keep her from running away.

Mitchi donned his Sengoku Driver and pulled out the Grape Lockseed. "Transform."

 _Grape arms! Ryuhou, ha ha ha!_

A tear zipped open in the sky above Mitchi. Before long, Ryugen had joined Double in facing down the oni.

"What the heck?!" Shotaro demanded.

"Fascinating...!" Philip exclaimed. "You didn't mention—"

The oni roared. Mitchi aimed his Grape Ryuhou at it and took a shot to hold the oni back. "We can discuss it later."

Both halves of Double had to admit he had a point.

The two Riders split up as the oni launched itself at them. It went crashing into the ground face-first.

As the oni pushed itself up, the underbrush it touched caught fire. "If only we could cool it off," Mitchi mused.

"Ah!" Philip exclaimed. "Shotaro, switch to Metal."

"On it."

 _Cyclone! Metal!_ the driver announced as Double's left half turned silver and Shotaro gripped the Metal Shaft. Double twisted the polearm around, brewing up a burst of wind—a light breeze at first that quickly became a full-on gale.

Mitchi let out a shout and grabbed on around a tree to ground himself as Double approached the oni. The oni's outer layer of molten rock began to harden from the cooling wind. It grunted and struggled, but its motion was clearly hampered by its body turning solid.

"Mitchi!" Philip called out. "When I tell you to, shoot it directly in the middle of its back. The stress should be enough to fracture it!"

"Right!" Mitchi righted himself, bracing both legs hard against the ground, and readied the Grape Ryuhou.

"And... now!"

 _Grape Sparking!_ Mitchi lost his footing as he fired, but it was enough. The shot pierced the oni's backside, cracking it and sending it crumbling to pieces.

Double stopped spinning the Metal Shaft. The Riders waited with bated breath.

But the oni did not reform.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Mitchi undid his transformation. Double followed suit, leaving Shotaro by himself. When Mitchi tilted his head in confusion Shotaro had to remind him, "Philip's with your brother and Akiko, remember?"

"Ah— right! We should hurry and catch up with them."

* * *

The hike continued.

Finally, the group of five cleared the woods and came to a giant archway leading to the castle.

Akiko groaned when she saw a pair of oni patrolling the front of the castle. "This is gonna be tough..."

"Maybe we should just go," Mitchi suggested. "We thought this island was abandoned, but it's not..."

Shotaro adjusted his hat. "Hey, these oni enslaved people. It's not like they're innocent."

Takatora made a thoughtful sound, then mused, "Have there even been confirmed sightings of these creatures any time more recent than two hundred years ago?"

Everyone looked at Philip.

Philip groaned. "I've already told you, the book was taken by that strange woman! I can't read it until she leaves."

"Woman?" Takatora repeated.

"It's very rare for other people to be in the Gaia Library," said Philip. "But ever since the reading of my father's will, this woman with orange hair and... different-colored eyes has been in there, preventing me from reading about Onigashima."

Takatora's eyes widened; Mitchi gasped and grabbed at Philip's arm. "Mai? Mai's in there?!"

Philip was stunned. "You know her?"

"Is there any way you can bring another person in with you?" Mitchi demanded.

"I don't..."

"You've done it before," Akiko pointed out. "With Sachi."

"That was a unique case. I don't see how it would be possible with Mitchi," said Philip.

Takatora pondered, "If he were to use the Double Driver—"

" _No_ ," replied Shotaro, Philip, and Akiko in unison.

Mitchi held his hands up. "It's fine, it's fine. I don't want to use it."

Philip hadn't realized he'd tensed up at the suggestion, but Mitchi's reassurance let him relax slightly. He tapped at his lips. "Still... If she's your friend... She said something about being dispersed through time."

Mitchi nodded. "That happened a while ago. But now she and Kouta are..." He smiled sadly. "Well, they're better off, I think."

"But you miss them..." Akiko observed.

There was a rumbling sound from the castle. Shotaro and Takatora looked over sharply; the oni guards had noticed them and were headed their way.

"Let's talk about this later," said Shotaro. He grabbed the Double Driver. "Philip, Mitchi, we'll have to fight our way through. Akiko and Takatora, you wait out here."

"Right!" Akiko nodded.

"Be careful," Takatora admonished the Riders.

"First let's take care of these clowns," said Shotaro.

They rushed the oni. They couldn't back down now.

* * *

There weren't as many oni as they'd assumed. Counting the one from the forest and the two guards out front, they only encountered a total of ten.

Momotaro and his friends, then, must have nearly wiped them out three hundred years earlier. And now the Kamen Riders got to finish the job.

Double and Ryugen dropped their transformations as they walked into the treasure chamber. Xtreme flew away, and Philip stepped out from behind Shotaro.

Lit by torches affixed to the walls, the pile of gold and jewels in the center of the room seemed to shimmer.

Philip smirked. "Aki-chan would be thrilled to see this." He started loading up his backpack.

Mitchi knelt to pick up and examine a particularly large jewel. "How are we going to get this treasure out of here? There's so much of it."

"Oi, Philip!" Shotaro shouted. "How are you planning on carrying that?"

Philip tried to lift the backpack. He grunted. "It's... surprisingly heavy."

Shotaro sighed at his partner. "Yeah. Gold is heavy."

Mitchi shrugged off the messenger bag he'd brought along. Seeing Philip's distress, he decided to go for the lighter objects; jewels, tapestries, some old parchments. "We may have an easier time carrying this as Riders," he said cheerily. "And that would also eliminate the advantage you two have over there being just one of me."

"Ah, good point," said Philip. He zipped up his backpack and slid out of his hoodie so he could use it like a sack to carry more. Mitchi didn't say anything; it was too small to carry much of anything in, anyway.

Once they'd loaded up, they resumed their transformation and made their way back outside where Takatora and Akiko were waiting.

Akiko squealed with glee when she saw the bag and hoodie Double was carrying. Takatora just raised an eyebrow and slid his hands out of his pockets, crossing his arms across his chest.

Akiko rushed over to get a better look, then paused in wonder. "Wait, wait. Do you get to _keep_ this stuff, or does that lawyer get it?"

Everyone glanced at Takatora.

He just shrugged. "I... didn't think to ask about that."

"Guess we'll find out," Shotaro commented. "C'mon, let's get out of here."

To everyone's surprise, their rented boat was able to hold the weight of their accumulated treasure. Takatora had, of course, accounted for that. The ride back to Hokkaido was full of chatter. The subject of Mai and the Gaia Library didn't come up, but there was unease coming from Mitchi.

Philip knew he was thinking about her.

* * *

"Well, then," the lawyer, Mr. Kuroyama, addressed the family (and Philip's friends). He looked out over the two tables where their accumulated treasure had been spread out; mostly gold and jewels on Philip's side, with a wider variety present on Mitchi and Takatora's side.

Kuroyama pulled on a pair of gloves and gingerly picked up a large, shining gemstone from Philip's table. He systematically went through both collections, nodding and making thoughtful sounds when he found something interesting.

The air was tense. Philip leaned forward, wide-eyed and eager, watching Kuroyama's every move. Mitchi twiddled his thumbs, and Takatora watched with a narrow-eyed curiosity. It was Shotaro and Akiko, however, who were the most tense; Shotaro couldn't stop fidgeting, and Akiko looked like she couldn't breathe.

Finally Kuroyama came to a halt. He placed one hand on each table and cleared his throat. "I've made my decision."

Everyone leaned forward. A high-pitched buzz emanated from Akiko's throat.

"This treasure..." A twisted grin crossed Kuroyama's face. "...belongs to me!"

"What?" Mitchi demanded.

Takatora got to his feet. "What are you talking about?"

"You fools. 'Ryubee Sonozaki's estate'? He bankrupted himself funneling his money into Museum! His house burned to the ground! _What_ estate?!" Kuroyama pulled a small object like a USB drive from his pocket.

Shotaro and Philip instantly got to their feet. Shotaro donned the Double Driver.

 _APPLE!_ called out the Gaia Memory. Kuroyama jammed it into his neck and transformed into a hulking, tree-like beast. His body was brown and barklike; in place of his head he seemed to have a canopy of green leaves, and more leaves took the place of his hands.

"Mitsuzane," Takatora said firmly.

"Yeah," Mitchi replied with a nod.

A cacophany of transformation noise filled the room. _CYCLONE! JOKER! GRAPE ARMS!_ A melody played from the Double Driver's speakers, and a loud zipping came as the space above Mitchi's head ripped open.

Akiko and Takatora dragged Philip's body from the room. Double and Ryugen charged the Apple Dopant.

"Kamen Riders?!" Kuroyama sputtered. "Ridiculous! This treasure was supposed to be all mine!" He swung his arm in Double's direction. They were knocked off their feet by a barrage of round, red projectiles that buried them when they landed on their back.

Shotaro groaned in pain. "These are..."

"Apples?" Mitchi said in wonder.

"He _does_ have the 'apple' Memory," Philip pointed out as Double pushed themself up. "We can't let him catch us off guard."

Another burst of apples zoomed at Mitchi, but he managed to sidestep most of them and burst the rest with the Grape Ryuhou.

Shotaro and Philip took that opportunity to lunge at Kuroyama and launch a barrage of punches at him. This close up, he couldn't retaliate with his apples. He finally stumbled back, exhausted, and Double and Ryugen exchanged a knowing glance.

 _MAXIMUM DRIVE!_

 _GRAPE SQUASH!_

Kuroyama soon lay twitching on the floor, the broken pieces of his Gaia Memory beside him.

* * *

"I'd like the _Onigashima_ book back now," Philip said firmly. "The competition is over, so there's nothing for you to worry about."

Mai smiled. She took her hands out from behind her back and held the book up. "Do you really learn everything by reading about it? That sounds boring."

"I..." Philip hesitated. "I used to. I know now that it's not the same as experiencing things for themselves. But I still prefer to read the broad outline before rushing into danger," he went on. "That's just good sense."

 _"You wouldn't know good sense if it kicked your butt!"_ Akiko called from outside the Library. Ah, he must have been talking aloud. He did that without thinking about it all the time.

Mai giggled. "I don't have much longer here... Philip, was it?" When he nodded, she continued, "It was nice to meet you."

"Ah, before you go..."

Mai tilted her head and made a curious sound.

Philip took a deep breath and bowed his head, squeezing his eyes shut. This would take a lot of concentration. He knew it was theoretically _possible_ , but he'd never tried it before, not even with Shotaro. He'd offered; Shotaro had said that the Gaia Library sounded like a drag.

But this... this was important. This was about... family, wasn't it?

A hazy, shimmering outline appeared to Philip's left. It slowly grew more recognizable, but it remained ghostly, not quite fully there. It wore the Double Driver around its waist.

Mitchi looked around in awe. "So this is your Gaia Library? It's amazing, Philip..."

Mai gasped. "Mitchi!"

"Mai!" Mitchi stepped toward her, grinning in relief. "It's been so long, I've missed you and Kouta so much—"

Mai shook her head. She looked distressed. "I'm not— I don't remember anything past when I took in the Golden Fruit, Mitchi. I'm—"

"'Dispersed through time', right?" Mitchi quoted. "That's okay. I'm just glad to see you again. I know I... did a lot of really stupid things. Everything that happened— well, _most_ of what happened is my fault."

"Don't say that."

"It's true," he said firmly. "But I'm trying to make up for it. I just wish..."

She smiled sadly. "I know. I don't know exactly what happened, but Kouta and I aren't on Earth anymore, are we?"

Mitchi shook his head.

"Sorry, Mitchi. I wish he could be here to see you, too. I'm sure he'd like that."

They were silent for a while, awkward and not knowing what to say. But finally a thought occurred to Mitchi. "Hey... you might remember this later, you know. When all those pieces of you come back together."

"You mean in the past?" Mai frowned contemplatively. "That makes sense. I know I can't say anything that will alter the future, though."

"But once you and Kouta leave you should be able to tell him about _this_ , right?"

"Oh!" Her eyes widened. "Yes, I should be able to do that!"

Mitchi grinned. "Then tell him..."

* * *

He went on _far_ longer than was strictly necessary.

* * *

"And I miss you both so much," he finished. "If it's ever possible for you to come back to Earth, even just to visit..."

"I'm sure we'd love to." Mai extended a hand toward Mitchi. He reached out to take it, but passed right through.

"Ah, your synch rate," Philip realized. "It's very low. You aren't even completely visible."

As if in response, Mai's image flickered. The book slipped out of her hands and crashed to her feet. "Oh... It looks like my time is up."

"Mai!"

"Don't worry, Mitchi. I'll pass your message on. Take care, okay?" She turned her gaze toward Philip. "Make sure he stays out of trouble."

"Hey..." Mitchi tried to sound indignant, but his eyes were watering.

"Good-bye, Mitchi!"

Mai vanished.

The synchronization between Philip and Mitchi broke. They fell out of the Library.

* * *

"Don't ever do that again," Shotaro insisted once they'd returned to the Narumi Detective Agency.

"I won't," Philip assured him. "It felt very strange. Like that time I accidentally wore your underwear."

"Ewwww." Akiko stopped counting the jewels she'd salvaged from the Onigashima treasure. She wrinkled her nose.

"But I'm glad I could help him," Philip went on. He smiled warmly. "Thank you for allowing it, Shotaro."

Shotaro flushed slightly. He tilted his chin upward and the brim of his hat down. "H-hey, don't mention it. He's your family, right?"

"He is. They are."

A warm glow had settled into Philip's heart and showed no signs of dying out. Of course Shotaro and Akiko would always be his closest family, but knowing that he had others out there... well, that wasn't a bad thing, either.


End file.
